Reality, it turns out, is often not what you perceive it to be—sometimes, there really is someone out to get you. Made You Up tells the story of Alex, a high school senior unable to tell the difference between real life and delusion. This is a compelling and provoking literary debut that will appeal to fans of Wes Anderson, Silver Linings Playbook, and Liar.

Alex fights a daily battle to figure out the difference between reality and delusion. Armed with a take-no-prisoners attitude, her camera, a Magic 8-Ball, and her only ally (her little sister), Alex wages a war against her schizophrenia, determined to stay sane long enough to get into college. She’s pretty optimistic about her chances until classes begin, and she runs into Miles. Didn't she imagine him? Before she knows it, Alex is making friends, going to parties, falling in love, and experiencing all the usual rites of passage for teenagers. But Alex is used to being crazy. She’s not prepared for normal.

Funny, provoking, and ultimately moving, this debut novel featuring the quintessential unreliable narrator will have readers turning the pages and trying to figure out what is real and what is made up.

Fangirl Discussion Review by Mel and Celine

*This is a spoiler-free review*

Celine: Can I just say how much I loved this one?!

Mel: Yes omg I cannot get over how brilliant this one is. Buying myself a hardcover for sure!

Celine: I loved pretty much everything about this. Its uniqueness, the voice, the amazing characters, the bonds different characters have, the fantastic ship, the twisty revelations… This book just has it all.

Mel: Yes girl!! That pretty much sums up all of my feelings. It had me hooked from the very beginning – I cannot think of little Alex trying to free the lobsters without cracking a smile. 😉 OH and I loved the way this book dealt with schizophrenia. I don’t know how accurate it is for reasons but it’s definitely opened up my eyes. THIS BOOK CLENCHED ONTO MY HEART AND NEVER LET GO.

Celine: Haha yes! This book just makes me so happy, even though it’s also quite an emotional story. But can I just mention how much I LOVE the characters? Each and every one was just so full of life. I also loved the character arcs of all the different characters. Just. So much love.

Mel: RIGHT. The characters in this book were so fantastic (unreliable narrator for the win!) and ABSOLUTELY the highlight of this book. Man, they all radiated and I WANNA HUG THEM ALL AND OH MY GAWD I’M GETTING ALL EMOTIONAL NOW. Especially Miles. He’s a closed-off person and a bit of an asshat who thinks he doesn’t have friends when he actually has so many people around him who care so dearly about him – and that should totally make me want to shit bricks because of his not-so-likeable personality but ahhh I LOVE LOVE LOVEEEE Miles. He is just really misunderstood and asdfghjkl; I want a Miles. Okay I’ll stop saying Miles now.

…

Miles Miles MILES

Celine: MIIIIIIILES

Miles

MILES

*clears throat* Miles is everything. I just want to hug him. He is just so wonderful and complex and oh my god. Also, THE FREAKING SHIP. I haven’t shipped something this hard in a long, long while. Everything about this was simply perfect. Two misunderstood people, both with their own problems, connecting and discovering that there actually are people who understand them/what they’re going through and ahhhhh just let me push those faces together… NOW KISS.

Ahem.

What do you mean, I’m invested?

Mel:Honestly… WHO ISN’T INVESTED IN THIS SHIP? Miles and Alex are so strangely perfect for each other and the slow burn? MY HEART ACHED SO HARD AND I WAS FANGIRLING NONSTOP OVER THESE TWO.

EXCUSE ME AS I GO TRY TO RECOLLECT MY FEELS. AGAIN.

Celine: WHAT EVEN ARE FEELINGS ANYMORE BECAUSE I DO NOT KNOW.

I just can’t really find the right words to say how I felt about this book. I just want to stand there waving my arms, making strange sounds, gesturing at everyone to PLEASE READ THIS BOOK.

Mel:

Yes honestly there is not one word that can properly describe the feelings I have for this book or to describe this book’s brilliance. IT JUST IS.

Celine: This is gonna be the most useful review ever.

Sooo, clearly we have given up on coherency so I’m just going to stand here and just – read this because you know you want it!! It’s got everything one could possibly want. The characters, THE SHIP, the plot, the EVERYTHING.

Mel: YUS READ THIS BOOK FOR THE LOBSTERS, THE FUN, THE SAD, THE UGLY FEELS, THE AMAZING CHARACTERS AND SWOON WORTHY ROMANCE.

OMG can we talk about THAT TWIST? I CRIED SO HARD. I JUST. WTF BOOK DONT MESS WITH ME.

Celine: NO we CANNOT talk about that BECAUSE IT NEVER HAPPENED

Mel: OH RIGHT YEAH WHAT AM I EVEN TALKING ABOUT. LOOK AT ME, THIS BOOK HAS AFFECTED ME SO MUCH I’M MAKING UP RANDOM SHIT. #THEDENIALISREAL

Melanie is one of the totally fabulous bloggers at YA Midnight Reads. She's a 16 year old student from Melbourne, Australia. She is normally found binge watching TV series, reading , blogging, procrastinating or fangirling about how Percabeth is the best ship ever. She's also a lover of caps lock and uses it excessively.

I completely agree with everything you two have said here. This is such an amazing and well-written novel and I loved every page of it too. The way Francesca Zappia explores mental illness here is so nonbiased and realistic and I think that’s one of the reasons I liked this story so much. There is no sugarcoating or romanticizing of mental illness here; Zappia tells it like it is. Thank you for sharing Mel & Celine and, as always, fabulous review! ♥Zoe @ Stories on Stage recently posted…Rounding: Up or Down?

I haven’t read Made You Up yet, but from your review it sounds amazing! I don’t think I’ve read any books about schizophrenia before, so this will definitely be an eye-opening read for me. But aah I love stories with unreliable narrators and trying to discern what I can trust and what I can’t. Miles and Alex sound great together (so this means Miles is real, right…?)! I’m a lot more excited to read this now than before, loved the review!:)Claire recently posted…Shadow and Bone (The Grisha #1) Book Review

I loved this one too! I saw the twist coming from a few pages before it happened (but I was still horribly heart broken) and it was so honest and real, even the crimson falls part and the snakes and ugh, it was so excellent
thanks for the fangirling review!Shanti@Weavingwaveswords recently posted…Made You Up: A review

This book sounds wonderful! I admit that I’m not really interested with it at first, but after reading many reviews saying how good is this book, I’m intrigued. Great review, Mel and Celine! 🙂Tiffany @ The Bookish Thought recently posted…The Importance of Translation

I hadn’t even heard about this one before I saw this review and now I am DYING to read it. Seriously, I need this book in my life right now. It sounds amazing!!!! 🙂 You guys have definitely sold me on it.Charnell @ Reviews from a Bookworm recently posted…A Colleen Hoover Mini Review Extravaganza!

YAY!! I’m so glad you lovelies enjoyed this one 😀 I love the characters and the uniqueness too! That opening was literally the best! ehhh I loved Miles and Alex, I just wanted them to be together so bad!! Awesome review, dears <3Rachel @ A Perfection Called Books recently posted…The Ultimate Book Tag

Very much yes. ALL the yes. I hugged this book. No, I hugged my Kindle, but I am okay admitting that. This book was freaking fantastic! I loved that NO ONE was perfect, everyone was a huge mess, but so likable anyway. And YES to the ship. I don’t trust anyone who does NOT ship these two. Fabulous discussion, ladies 😀Shannon @ It Starts At Midnight recently posted…We All Read Throne of Glass (And No One Remembers)

This book sounds absolutely lovely, besides the sadness and the twist and all the angst that will surely follow. But I’m sure it’ll all be worth it to read about Alex and Miles. Speaking of, the way you two gush over this ship, I am sure it will be swoonworthy and lovable to the max.Eri recently posted…Exquisite Captive (Dark Caravan Cycle #1) by Heather Demetrios

I am dying to read this book! First of all, I am absolutely in love with this cover. Then the book deals with a tough concept. And finally, from what I gather from your review, it has a beautiful romance.Which means, I have to read this ASAP!
Lovely review girls! I hope I can get myself a copy of this novel soon.Mishma @ Chasing Faerytales recently posted…Blogging has changed me a lot as a person

YES YES YES YES YES! Seriously, can we all hug the book? I just loved everything about it too, (and yes, unreliable narrators are awesome, especially when they don’t even trust themselves) and just loved how it was more dealing and living with schizophrenia than all “hey, you have schizophrenia, it’s your label now.” BUT THE CHARACTERS, RIGHT? I JUST. AND MILES. That’s all I’m saying. Great discussion review, you’re both hilarious with all the fangirling. 😉Kirsty-Marie recently posted…Guest Review by Amber: The Perfectionists

Excellent discussion review, Celine and Mel! I love that you’re both so happy about Made You Up, it really makes me want to read it as well.
Fangirling with our favorite bloggers is so much fun! And even more so when we have to do it electronically because we don’t even live on the same continent 😉
Have a wonderful weekend and happy reading.Lexxie @ (un)Conventional Bookviews recently posted…Review: Hollywood on Tap – Avery Flynn

You girls would make excellent salesladies because you all but convinced me to read this one next! I’ve been putting it off for a while now but I think it’s time to give in and read.Miguel @ The Quirky Reader recently posted…We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach

AWESOME REVIEW!!! I am so incredibly excited to read this one. It sounds like you guys really loved it so now I want to read it even more.Cynthia @ Bingeing On Books recently posted…Sunday Post and June Wrap-Up

Haha, I wish I could do discussion reviews like you two. Love it.
So, yeah, this book was pretty amazing. MILES. What a unique love interest – loved him! And my heart just broke for Alex, but she was also a wonderful MC.
Great review, ladies!Danielle @ Love at First Page recently posted…Stacking the Shelves [32]

So, okay. NAILED IT. This would be in my TBR in a flash if it isn’t already. I love characterization so much and, this year, I’ve been consuming more books about depression and mental illness. I can’t seem to get enough of them! So it’s really nice to know that MYU did a fantastic job dealing with the subject. Brava, Mel! Brava, Celine!Shelumiel @ Bookish and Awesome recently posted…REVIEW: Mosquitoland by David Arnold

Wow those are a lot of feels! I’d like to try reading from an unreliable POV. Can’t wait to be introduced to Miles and Alex and lobsters lmao even though I don’t get the joke (it is a joke, right?).Salwa M. recently posted…Insurgent Movie: Review & Discussion

YESS! I absolutely loved this book. I could also see the twist coming for a few pages, but I still cried. A lot. I read this for a lit circle book in English so I was sitting there crying in English and I had people coming up to me after class asking if I was ok. lololololol^^

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Midnightians

Melanie is a 16 year old student from Melbourne, Australia. She's known as that crazy melodramatic fangirl to her friends and loves spending her time procrastinating, fangirling over Percabeth, wasting her life away on Twitter and reading (duh). Addictions include gummy bears, ice-cream, coffee and binge-watching TV shows. Friends, New Girl, The 100, HTGAWM and Sherlock are her true loves.

Celine is 18 years old and from the Netherlands. She's been a reader for as long as she can remember, and she believes she will be one forever. Though books will forever remain her number one, she also loves food, singing like no one's listening (even though they probably are), dancing like no one's watching (in her dance class, AKA where people are definitely watching) and doodling on every place that can and can't be doodled on.